Door lock visual indicator pin



1967 F. J. RUSSELL ETAL 3,336,775

' DOOR LOCK VISUAL INDICATOR PIN Filed Sept. 13, 1965 INVENTOES 5 250 J RUSSEL w s Rec-s52 J. Noun \\.Q\

63 BY 84%! z AT QRNEYE United States Patent 3,336,775 DOOR LOCK VISUAL INDICATOR PIN Fred J. Russell, 8635 Otis St., South Gate, Calif. 90280, and Roger J. Nolin, Monterey Park, Califi; said Nolin assignor to said Russell Filed Sept. 13, 1965, Ser. No. 486,704 1 Claim. (Cl. 70-438) This is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 450,449, filed Apr. 23, 1965, now abandoned.

The invention has [reference to a visual indicating means associated with a door lock to enable a person on one side of a closed door to determine visually whether or not the door has been locked on the other side.

In locks which are used on hotel rooms and the like, it is often desirable for the occupant to be able to bar the door from the inside while he is in the room and particularly while sleeping, so that the door cannot be opened from the outside, except under special circumstances. Without some means to indicate to persons outside of the room that the room is occupied, there is always the likelihood that a chambernraid or some other person might try the door lock and disturb the occupant. Although such contrivances as Do Not Disturb signs, hung on the outside, might accomplish a comparable purpose, such signs may not always be handy and avail-able, or the occupant might neglect or forget to hang such a sign on the outside of the door.

It is, therefore, among the objects of the invention to provide a new and improved visual indicator no show the locked or unlocked condition of a door lock, which operates simultaneously with the locking of the door from the inner side.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved visual indicator to show the locked or unlocked condition of a door lock, which indicator is positive, reliable, and which in the manufacture and assembly, requires no appreciable alteration in the operating parts of the lock.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved visual indicator which, although separate from the lock itself, can be so constructed and mounted that it can be operated from virtually any moving part or mechanism in the lock which locks or unlocks the door, possessed of a rotating motion.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved visual indicator which is, in essence, an inexpensive accessory separate from the lock itself and cooperable with the lock in such fashion that the indicator can be installed, if desired, or left off, if desired, Without need for change in the lock or its mechanism, the indica-t-oir being an accessory device of unitary character which can be applied or omitted at will.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved visual indicator pin for a door lock which is compact and relatively inexpensive, which is of such design and structure as to permit it to be located 'arbitnari- 1y at a selected position relative to the hand-hold or to the keyway, [and which operates automatically with a negligible amount of effort as the locking mechanism is shifted between locked and unlocked conditions.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, arrangerme'nt, and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the appended claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a fragment of door, showing a lock, such as a mortise lock, in position.

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view of the device of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary inside elevational view of a turn device associated with the lock taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal sectional View taken through the indicator device.

FIGURE 6 is a longitudinal sectional view through the indicator device similar to the view of FIGURE 5, but showing certain parts rotated degrees.

FIGURE 7 is 'a cross-sectional view on the line 7-7 of FIGURE 5.

In an embodiment chosen for the purpose of illustration, the invention has been shown incorporated in what is commonly referred to in the trade as a mortise type lock. Such a lock is described in considerable detail with respect to various aspects of the structure in applicants copending applications Ser. No. 450,419, filed Apr. 23,

1965; Ser. No. 450,449, filed Apr. 23, 1965; Ser. No. 450,- 461, filed Apr. 23, 1965; Ser. No. 450,450, filed Apr. 23, 1965; Ser. No. 450,462, filed Apr. 23, 1965; Ser. No. 450,- 447, filed Apr. 23, 1965; Ser. No. 450,472, filed Apr. 23, 1965; Ser. No. 450,460, filed Apr. 23, 196 5; Ser. No. 450,-

filed Apr. 23, 1965; Ser. No. 450,445, filed Apr. 23,

By way of example, there is shown a door 10 having an inside face 11, an outside face 12, and a door edge 13. A mortise lock contained within a case indicated generally by the reference character 14 is shown mounted in the door 10. The case 14 consists, in part, of an inside wall 15, an outside wall 16, and an end Wall 17. A dead bolt 18 extends from the case 14 outwardly through a hole 19 in the end wall 17 and a hole 20 in an armored front plate 21. For properly mounting the dead bolt 18 in openating position, the case 14 is provided with a block 22 which provides a slideway 23 in which the dead bolt 18 slides.

For manipulating the deadbolt 18 into locked condition, such as that shown 'by the broken line position of FIG- URE 4, and for withdrawing it to an unlocked condition, such as the solid line position of FIGURE 4, there is provided a rock arm 24 pivotally mounted in the case 14 by employment, in part, of a shaft 25. The shaft 25 extends rotatably through a bushing 26 mounted on the inside wall 15. Nonrotatably attached to the bushing 26 is a handle or turn device 27. The shaft 25 is in axial alignment with a Bogs 28 visible in FIGURE 4 and also FIGURES 5 an A link 29 is pivotal-1y attached by a pivotal connection 30 to an end 31 of the rock arm 24. Another pivotal congelctitir 32 a-ttaches'the link 29 to the inner end of the dead O t To operate the rock arm 24, the handle or turn device 27 on the inside of the door 10 is rotated in an appropriate direction. When the rock arm 24 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 4, the link 29 is extended and moves the dead bolt 18 from right to left as viewed in FIGURE 4 until the dead bolt 18 occupies the broken line position indicated by the reference character 18'. When in that position, a projection 33 rides over a complementary projection 34 at the free end of a leaf spring 35, thereby to detain the rock arm 24 in its rotated position. The leaf spring 35, in turn, is attached by means of anchoring elements 36, 37, and 38 to the block 22. When the rock arm 24 is rotated in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURE 4, by appropriate rotation of the handle or turn device 27, the link 29 is withdrawn, thereby to withdraw the dead bolt 18 from the broken line position 18' to the solid line position of FIG- URE 4. During this manipulation of the rock arm 24, the projection 33 again overrides the complementary projection 34, depressing the leaf spring 35, until it reaches the r 3 solid line position of FIGURE 4, wherein the leaf spring 35 returns to the position there shown.

A visual indicator is indicated generally by the reference character 40 and is clearly visible in its relationship to other parts of the device in FIGURE 1. In the chosen embodiment, it is immediately above an outside knob 41 and immediately below a key-actuated mechanism 42. The visual indicator 40 is housed in a jacket or bushing 43, stationarily secured in an aperture 44 in the outside wall 16 of the mortise lock as, for example, by staking. Extending through the jacket 43 is a passage 45, and within the passage 45 there is mounted an indicator pin 46, the

outer end of which is slightly larger in diameter than the inner end.

An actuator pin or stem 47 has a square end 48 mounted in a square hole 49 in the rock arm 24. An enlargement 50 is rotatably mounted in the passage 45 within the jacket 43. To hold the enlargement 50 in position, there is provided a washer 51 retained by a crimped over portion 52 of the jacket 43. A coiled compression spring 53 hottomed upon a shoulder 54 in the passage 45 presses against an outwardly facing shoulder 55 of the enlargement 50.

Centrally located in the enlargement 50 is a bore 56 which slidably receives the inner end of the indicator pin 46.

A roll pin 60 extends through the indicator pin 46 and opposite ends of the roll pin 60 are received in respective axially extending slots 61 and 62 in the jacket 43, the ends of the roll pin 60 serving as cams. On corresponding opposite sides of the enlargement 50 of the actuator pin 47 are substantially V-shaped notches 63 and 64 which serve as cam tracks and receive the respective ends of the roll pin 60. Normally, the spring 53, in addition to holding the actuator pin 47 in the position shown in FIGURES and 6, also holds the indicator pin 46 in the inner position of FIGURE 5 by reason of the fact that the spring 53 overlies the roll pin 60.

In operation, when the rock arm 24 is in the position of FIGURE 4, for example, it will be assumed that the actuator pin 47 and the indicator pin 46 are in the positions of FIGURE 5. As shown, the indicator pin 46 is withdrawn and is pressed inwardly by action of the spring 53. When the rock arm 24 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURE 4, as previously described, the actuator pin 47 is rotated. As the actuator pin 47 is rotated and its enlargement 50 is rotated, the V- shaped notches 63 and 64, serving as cam tracks, move against respective ends of the roll pin 60 and force it outwardly of the jacket 43 against pressure of the spring 53. When this happens, the indicator pin 46 is moved to an outwardly extending position as shown in FIGURE 6. This, therefore, is the position indicating when the dead bolt 18 is in locked condition. It does not matter if the actuator pin 47 rotates to a greater or lesser extent, inasmuch as the roll pin 60 will override the respective notches 63 and 64 until it rests upon the shoulder 55 on either side, if rotation exceeds that needed to move the roll pin 60 from the bottom of the notches 63, 64 past the tops. When the rock arm 24 is rotated in the opposite direction, namely clockwise as viewed in FIGURE 4, the enlargement 50 is returned to the position of FIGURE 5. When this happens, the spring 53, acting upon the roll pin 60, will force the roll pin 60 and consequently the indicator pin 46 inwardly to the initial position shown in FIGURE 5. This withdrawn position in the chosen embodiment indicates that the dead bolt 18 is withdrawn.

Although the indicator pin 46 has been shown and described primarily as responsive to rotation of the rock arm 24, when it is rotated by manipulation of the handle 27, it will be understood that the indicator pin 46 will respond to rotation of the rock arm 24 by any means or, for example, can be employed in engagement with any rotating part of a lock mechanism in order to indicate different positions of rotation.

While the invention has herein been shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein, but is to be accorded the full scope of the claim, so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new in support of Letters Patent is:

In a lock comprising a case, moving parts in said case, one of said parts having a pivotal mounting in said case, a turn device located outwardly of the inner side of said case in operative engagement with said moving parts, said case having an aperture on a side thereof adjacent said moving parts, an indicator member reciprocatably mounted in said aperture for movement between extended and retracted positions, a drive member connected to said one of said parts and in axial alignment with said pivotal mounting, a cam drive between said drive member and said indicator member whereby to extend and retract said indicator member in response to operation of said turn device, said one of said parts being independently mounted in the case and responsive to rotation by said turn device, a dead bolt spaced from said one of said parts and having a reciprocating mounting in said case, a linkage between said dead bolt and said one of said parts, whereby the position of the indicator member is directly related to the position of said dead bolt, said cam drive comprising a pin mounted in a transverse direction in said indicator member, said cam drive comprising V-shaped depressions on diametrically opposite sides of said drive member having an aggregate breadth at the large ends substantially less than the perimeter of said drive member, and level portions extending part way around the drive member joining adjacent ends of said V-shaped depressions, said level portions engage said pin to hold the indicator member in fully extended position as said drive member continues to rotate throughout a substantial portion of a turn of said turn device, and return spring means acting between said pin and the case to hold said pin in engagement with said drive member to retract said indicator member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 936,231 10/1909 Arens et al -438 1,454,020 5/1923 Teich 70-432 X r 1,526,047 2/1925 Butterworth 70-438 X 2,303,624 12/ 1942 Edwards et al 70-110 2,638,770 5/1953 Gutman 70-438 X FOREIGN PATENTS 431,237 7/ 1935 Great Britain.

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

P. TEITELBAUM, Assistant Examiner. 

